As the state legislature is negotiating over whether or not to raise the cap on charter schools, parents and students community groups have raised questions about the need for reform in charter schools. At the same time, parents from two Harlem public schools that are in the same buildings as charter schools have released photos showing the dramatically different conditions in school bathrooms. The charter schools have newly renovated bathrooms with new sinks, toilets and stalls. The district schools have sinks, stalls, and tiles that are falling apart, and have not been upgraded in years (pictures below). Disparate conditions of facilities-including classrooms, libraries, gymnasiums and instructional materials like science and computer labs–are one of the common complaints of parents.
“Why do our students deserve worse facilities? Because, they didn’t win the lottery,” said Annette Jimenez, parent at PS 375 in Harlem. “This is separate and unequal treatment of students in public schools, in the same public school building.”
Students at schools that share space are also many times not allowed to use the renovated bathrooms in their own public school building.
In light of the pending state legislative vote on raising the charter cap, parent and community organizations are calling for reforms to charter schools including: equity in facilities; requirements that charters serve as many students in poverty students with disabilities, and English language learners; limitations on the growth of charters within an individual school district or a New York City community school district; an end to the practice of allowing charter school management companies to make profits off public education; and the same transparency and accountability in charter schools as exists in public schools including public audits by the state or city Comptroller and applicability of the Freedom of Information Law.
Our friends at the Alliance for Quality Education along with the New York City Coalition for Educational Justice, Education Voters of New York and the Campaign for Fiscal Equity have partnered with parents and various community groups to press for reforms in charter school equity, educational quality for all schools and transparency & accountability.
AQE along with its partners have sent a letter to the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus. The letter is embedded below: